{UAH} Opposition turncoats: First it was Rubaramira, now Ocula - People & Power - monitor.co.ug

http://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/PeoplePower/Opposition-turncoats--First-it-was-Rubaramira--now-Ocula/-/689844/2676116/-/3i1juc/-/index.html

Opposition turncoats: First it was Rubaramira, now Ocula - People & Power

Former Kilak MP Michael Nyeko Ocula. Photo by CISSY MAKUMBI 

In Summary

Unpredictable. In the past I would have sworn by Maj Rubaramira's grey moustache that his likes (and particularly those who have been calling others "NRM moles") would never abandon the fight to topple the NRM, especially at this time when the party has degenerated into a one man show, writes Norbert Mao

In the recent Amuru by-election for the seat of Woman MP, I stood shoulder to shoulder with former Kilak MP Michael Nyeko Ocula as we pulverised the Museveni machine. Our campaign resulted in victory for the joint Opposition candidate Lucy Akello. Then I learnt that Ocula had crossed over to Museveni and the NRM.

Picture this. You are having a hot shower and then a jet of cold water hits you. You have run out of hot water. That is how the news of Ocula's defection hit me. That is also how I felt when I learnt of Maj Rubaramira Ruranga's defection from the FDC to the NRM.

Naturally, shrieks of condemnation followed from Opposition ranks. Not to be left out and for lack of words, I kept quiet hoping my silence would speak louder than words. Keeping quiet itself was a torment. Crosstitute? I opined as I groped for words of lament.

In the past I would have sworn by Maj Rubaramira's grey moustache that his likes (and particularly those who have been calling others "NRM moles") would never abandon the fight to topple the NRM, especially at this time when the party has degenerated into a one man show. Tanzanians would call it a BMW Party (Chama Cha Baba, Mama na Watoto).

Meeting South African president
But I am getting ahead of myself. Let's take a backward glance. The date is December 12, 2005. Two days after we had celebrated the International Human Rights Day. Maj Rubaramira led hundreds of FDC supporters in a demonstration to waylay South African president Thabo Mbeki as he headed to Kampala from Entebbe airport. They were protesting intimidation of Opposition supporters in the run up to the 2006 elections.

The police was overwhelmed. No surprise. The army stepped in. In fact, the no nonsense Military Police stepped in. Col Dick Bugingo was in command. The colonel, now retired, made a beeline towards Maj Rubaramira and slapped him hard across the face.

The powerful slap shattered Rubaramira's glasses and injured his eye. Rubaramira reportedly spent about Shs800,000 in medical bills. The slap echoed around the country.

It was relayed over and over by TV stations. It was yet another testimony to the brutality and impunity of the NRM regime. To onlookers the slap had burnt all bridges between Rubaramira and his old comrades in the NRM. It was clear that the agents of the regime would act with impunity to suppress voices of dissent. Later, Bugingo was to boast that the slap was necessary to show who was boss or words to that effect. Bugingo was anything but apologetic.

The UPDF responded in standard format. They appointed a probe committee chaired by the then Col Leo Kyanda. The case became a farce when two members of the Military Police also reported that FDC supporters had assaulted them.

Clearly, the UPDF probe was a red herring. A dead end. Rubaramira filed a civil case against Bugingo. The evidence against Bugingo was overwhelming. Court ordered Col Bugingo to pay Shs10.7 million to Rubaramira "for causing injury to his feelings and dignity".

I don't know whether he managed to collect this sum eventually. What I know is that each time court bailiffs went to Bugingo's house, they met armed soldiers who chased them away with death threats in utter contempt of court. No senior army officer intervened to ensure that the court order was implemented.

At that time, Rubaramira wondered why a retired Colonel was having dozens of armed bodyguards, a privilege denied to Col Besigye who at that time was jailed in Luzira!

Rubaramira is not the first to cross (or for that matter criss-cross) and he will not be the last. When I asked a friend who is a leader in the FDC, he was emphatic in his denunciation: "That man was on a mission for the NRM from the time he joined FDC. We knew it." Sure? Then why was he not exposed. Of course we are all wise in hindsight. Another one even suggested that even Rubaramira's leadership of Nandala Mafabi's campaign for the FDC top job was an NRM grand plan to fail Mugisha Muntu's bid. Conspiracy theories abound.

Someone once told me that party politics is characterised by three Ds - disloyalty, defiance and defection. Any party has to contend with those three hazards. The party I lead is no exception. Even developed countries have to deal with these hazards.

In 2008 Joe Lieberman, a former US vice presidential candidate for the Democrats, snubbed Barack Obama and campaigned for the Republican candidate, John McCain. Even the iconic former British prime minister Winston Churchill was a seasoned switcheroo. In 1904, Churchill who was a Conservative crossed to the Liberals then crossed back after 20 years. In his defence, he said only fools don't change their minds!

Opposition turncoats: First it was Rubaramira, now Ocula - People & Power - monitor.co.ug

http://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/PeoplePower/Opposition-turncoats--First-it-was-Rubaramira--now-Ocula/-/689844/2676116/-/3i1juc/-/index.html

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